Device for unloading articles from forms



April 1940. R. s. REYNOLDSON DEVICE FOR UNLQADING ARTICLES FROM FORMS INVENTOR. J20 [a 7261 GT/Zgyzzoidfiorz BY p V 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 ATTORNEY-5 UH m mi .w wn L Original Filed July 18, 1938 Ap 2, 1940. R. e. REYNOLDSON DEVICE FOR UNLOADING ARTICLES FROM FORMS 2 Sheets-She et 2 Original Filed July 18, 1938 INVENTOR. ZEaZarzcZ 6:256 nowan,

ATTORNEYS Patented Apr. 2, 1940 1 I UNITED, STATES PATENT OFFICE DEVICE FOR UNLOADING ARTICLES FROM FORMS Roland G. Reynoldson, Madison, Wis.

Original application July 18, 1938, Serial No.

219,756. Divided and this application May 1, 1939, Serial No. 271,236

7 Claims. (Cl. 2141.1)

My invention relates toan improvement in container and beneath the article contained handling articles and has for particular purpose therein, whereby the top of the container and the provision of improved means for removing the article may be pneumatically expelled from articles, such as bacon, from containers in which or loosened from the bottom. The cleats l are '5 the articles have been pressed, formed or chilled. important as spacing thecontainers apart where- Other purposes will appear from time to time by cold air may be circulated between adjacent in the course of the specification and claims. containers, when they are stacked, for chilling The present application is a division of my or freezing or for other purposes. co-pending application Serial No. 219,756 which After any suitable number of containers have 0 was filed on July 18, 1938. been positioned upon the bottom clamp mem- 1 I illustrate my invention more or less diaher 8, top clamp members 9 may be applied and grammatically in the accompanying drawings the members 8 and 9 can be drawn together by wherein: any suitable means, for example the compression Fig. 1 is a plan view of a structure for carrying rods 10 with the 'nuts ll screw-threaded to the out my invention, including parts employed to fit upper ends of the rods. It will be understood 15 bacon in forms, from which forms the bacon is that the particular details of the pressuremainthereafter removed; taining meansare a matter of choice, but the Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the structure shown one shown serves as an-illustrative example. in Fig. 1, with parts broken away; The stack thusproduced, indicated as a whole Fig. 3 illustrates the container in which the at B, may be moved on any suitable conveyor-20 bacon is positioned for pressing and subsequent table 12, which is provided'with a'plurality of freezing; supporting rollers 13. These permit the easy Fig. 4 is a perspective view partially in secmanual movement of the unit B upon the adjation illustrating the bacon within the assembled cent similar conveyor table indicated as [4, with -.25 containers shown in Fig. 3; its rollers l5. l6 diagrammatically illustrates any Fig. 5 is a section on the line 5-5 of Fig. 1; suitable press member having a plunger 11 and a d plunger head I8 adapted to engage the top tray Fig. 6 is a section on the line 6-6 of Fig. 1, of the stack. Any suitable means may be emon an enlarged scale. ployed to thrust the membersl'l and I8 down- Like parts are indicated by like characters wardly against the top tray to compress the 30 throuhgout the specification and drawings. individual members 2 and 5 together against the My invention is primarily directed to means bacon. When the stack is compressed, the nuts for removing or unloading articles from forms. ll may be rotated into bottom position in order Its utility and mode of operation will be clearer substantially to maintain the pressure on the in- 35 if taken in connection with the following descripdividual slabs of bacon during the freezing period. 35

tion of a typical forming apparatus and method. It will be clear from Fig. 4 that the thickness Referring for example to Fig. 1, Aindicates any of the bacon slab I is somewhat greater than suitable loading platform or table. Illustrated as the height of the flanges 3 or 6, whereby in positioned on the table are the parts shown on a response to the thrust of the press each individ- F40 larger scale in Fig. 3. 1 indicates a piece of ual piece of bacon is compressed between the top bacon. 2 is a container shown as having an and bottom member which confines it. This open top and side walls 3. 4 indicates a hole in causes the bacon to spread out within the conthe bottom of the container. 5 indicates a top tainer 2 and to conform to the container and member having circumferential downwardly extake a completely or substantially completely tending walls 6 and being provided with spacing rectangular form. The result is that the finished 45 cleats l. The operator places the piece of bacon bacon piece can be evenly sliced with a minimum l in the lower container or bottom 2 and posiof wastage, and the bacon can be changed in all tions the top 5 thereupon, as shown in Fig. 4. A v three dimensions. Since the containers are unistack of such containers is positioned on a botform in size, or of a predetermined size, the Y tom clamp member 8. bacon will be formed to that size. If the con- 50 This container 2, as shown in Fig. 3 and as will tainers are uniform, all of the bacon pieces will later appear, is adapted for the pneumatic or also be uniform in size. pressure removal of articles within the container The unit 13, after it has been subject to pres' after treatment, the hole 4 being adapted to persure and'while the pressure is still maintained by .55 mit the entry of air under pressure within the the members it and H, may be moved along the ,5

conveyor I4 into alinement with the freezing unit generally indicated as C and shown in vertical section in Fig. 5. As therein shown, it includes a freezing chamber defined by insulated walls. I illustrate a bottom wall 20, a top wall 2|, 2. side wall 22, and an opposite side wall 23. The end walls, not herein shown in detail, are provided with gates 24 which can be raised to permit the insertion and the removal of the units B and which can be lowered to maintain the refrigeration chamber closed, there being such gates at each end of the unit C.

It will be recalled that each container has an aperture 4 in the bottom. Such container may be positioned upon the handling or unloading platform 42 with the hole 4 alined with a cup 43. This cup may be of rubber or any other suitable substance to maintain a tight connection with the bottom of the container 2. 44 indicates an air pressure line in communication with the cup 43 and extending to any suitable source of air pressure. 45 indicates a valve controlling such line 44, and 46 is a line to the pressure source. 41 is an operating rod for the valve 45 which may be controlled manually or by a foot lever or pedal 48 as shown in Fig. 2, whereby the operator can control the delivery of air pressure by his foot. Any suitable means may be employed for biasing the valve 45 to the closed position, whereby it is operated only when the operator presses down on the pedal 48.

50, are suction cups mounted on the support 42 which is apertured to permit their passage therethrough. 52, 53 are suction connections to a suction line 54 which is controlled by a valve 55. The valves 45 and 55 together form a multiple valve structure which may be unitarily controlled by the rod 41 and the pedal 48.

Thus. when the operator presses down on the pedal 48, the initial effect is to open the valve 55 and to subject the interior of the cups 5t, 5! to suction. The two valves are preferably so proportioned that the pressure valve 45 is not opened until after the suction valve, so that the effect of the initial downward movement of the pedal 48 is to a ply suction without applying pressure. The efi'ect of the suction is to draw the container 2 downwardly firmly against the surface of the support 42. Thereafter. when the pressure valve 45 is opened and pressure is applied to the cup 43, this pressure passes through the aperture 4 and around the bacon l and serves to blow the top 5 upwardly from the container 2 sufnciently to free it.

I may if I wish employ in the place of the suction cups 50, 51 any other suitable means for drawing the container downwardly against the top 42 or against any suitable stop means.

After the cover has been removed, the operator tosses it aside or puts it on any suitable conveyor or support, shown for example as the roller conveyor Bil of Fig. l. Continuation of the pressure serves to blow the bacon piece i loose from the bottom container 2 and the operator can toss it upon any suitable conveyor or place it on any suitable support, the details of which do not form part of the present invention.

The operator then removes his foot from the pedal 48 and, the valves being biased to closed position, the pressure and suction are simultaneously out off and the bottom member or container can then be removed from the table 62 and put on the conveyor 60 or otherwise disposed of. Thereafter, the operator similarly opens each one of the container units until he has finished the stack shown at the position 4! in Fig. 2. He can then move up a new unit B or stack and continue. The operation may be carried on relatively continuously or intermittently.

It will be realized that I have illustrated and described my invention relatively diagrammatically, and that many changes may be made in the size, shape, number and disposition of parts without departing from the spirit of my invention. I therefore wish my description and drawings to be taken as in a broad sense illustrative and diagrammatic, rather than as limiting me to my precise showing.

It will be understood, of course, that whereas I have described my invention as used primarily with bacon, this is but one advantage of its use as it be employed for other food stuffs or for other articles or substances which are not in the category of food stuffs. Broadly, I deform or mold substances or articles under pressure, ther after chill or freeze them, and thereby set them, and thereafter free the formed, set articles from the forming molds.

I claim:

1. In a handling table for unloading containers, member, suction cup adapted to draw a line in communication with said cup, a normally closed valve in said line, means for directing air pressure into a container held by suction in relation to said top member, in a direction opposite to the direction of suction pull, including a press re line, a normally closed valve in said press 2 line, a movable control member, and an actuating connection between said control member and said suction and pressure valves adapted in response to a predetermined movement of said control member first to open the suction valve and thereafter to open the pressure valve.

In handling table for unloading containers, extended and generally horizontal top, suction means for holding a superposed container in a predetermined position on said top, and .cans directing air pressure into said con- ,1', n the operation of said suction m ans. in a d"ection opposite to the direction of suction pull of said suction means.

8. In a handling table for unloading containers, an extended and generally horizontal top, suction means for holding a superposed container in a predetermined position on said top, means for di1e"ting air pressure into said container, during the operation of said suction means, and in a. direction opposite to the direction of suc-. tion pull of said suction means, and unitary control means for the suction means and the pressure means, including a single operating lever in convenient proximity to said table.

i. In a handling table for unloading articles from containers, a support, suction means for drawing a container toward said support, for directi; air pressure into the interior of said container while said container is held by suction in relation to said support, and a unitary control member adapted in response to its movement through a predetermined range, first to put the suction means into action and thereafter to cause the application of said air pressure.

5. In a handling table for unloading articles from containers, a support including a generally horizontal top member, suction means for drawing a container downwardly toward said top member, means for directing air pressure into the interior of said container while said container.

is held by suction in relation to said top member, and control means for said suction means and said air pressure means.

6. In a handling table for unloading articles from oontainers,a generally horizontal support,

one or more suction cups including edges extending normally to a level above said support, said cups beingadapted to receive a container superposed upon the support, means for maintaining a suction within said cups and for thereby urging said container downwardly toward said support, and means for directing air pressure to the interior of said container in a direction opposite to the direction of suction pull, while maintaining said suction.

7. In a handling table for unloading articles from containers, a generally horizontal support,

one or more suction cups including edges extending normally to a level above said support, said cups being adapted to receive a container superposed upon the support, means for maintaining a suction within said cups and for thereby urging said container downwardly toward said support, means for directing air pressure to the interior of said containerin a direction opposite to the direction of suction pull, while maintaining said suction, and unitary means for successively supplying suction to said cups and for thereafter actuating said air pressure directing means including a unitary handle, a valve controlled thereby, adapted to control said suction, and an additional valve controlled thereby, adapted to control said air pressure.

ROLAND G. REYNOLDSON. 

